"Where Your Treasure, There Will Be Your Heart As Well"

WHERE YOUR TREASURE, THERE WILL YOUR HEART BE AS WELL
From the gospel that we have today, we encounter a man who asked Jesus one of the most profoundest questions there is: "What must we do in order to gain eternal life?"
It is one of the most important questions there is because everything that we do,
everything that we aspire for in our own spiritual life, is geared towards gaining eternal life - that state of perfect joy - that perfect union with God. What we have in this gospel is a very important aspect of our faith. In as much as following God's commandments is a vital part in our journey to eternal life, they in themselves are not enough for us to be assured of heaven. One can strictly follow the commandments while at the same time being totally enslaved with other things like wealth, riches, pride, fame and power. A very essential part of genuinely following the commandments is that total dependence on the will of God. It does not mean that we have to give up our material comfort (all these good things are in themselves graces from God), but our material possessions/worldly comforts must not dictate how we live our faith and how we relate with others. Our faith and relationship with God must take priority over those things that we find important in our lives.
Like the man in the gospel, we may be very sincere in our following of the Lord, doing with faithfulness all those things that are externally required of us like the commandments, but still having this divided heart. Divided - because there are many things that we cannot let go and still shape who we are: probably riches, fame, that desire to be seen or perceived as the holiest person in the room, or pride. Time is running out.
Do not trade eternal life for those things that will not give us lasting joy. What are those things in our life right now that could make us walk away sad, like the man in the Gospel, because we are not yet willing to give them up for the sake of eternal life with God?
This weekend is the annual second collection for the STAR (Student Tuition Assistance Resources) program. As what we announced last weekend, the STAR program has been a long-standing tradition here at St. Cecilia’s to support our own parochial school with tuition assistance for our struggling school families. This year, we have 40 students, from 30 parish families, who need tuition assistance that totals $75,000. Your contributions can doubly benefit the school through some generous matching funds opportunities offered by the Joseph Weston Foundation. Gifts of all sizes, when counted together, will make a difference, meeting the needs of today and endowing for the future! Many of you should have received STAR materials mailed to your home; if not, STAR materials are in the pews this weekend. I would like to thank you in advance for your generous participation in this appeal. – Fr. Cary